


What Could Have Been

by stony1998



Series: Sexy, Cute, or Angsty One-Shots [14]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Blood, Character Death, M/M, Sad, Suicide, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 09:28:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5922988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stony1998/pseuds/stony1998
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite the apparent cockiness, Tony Stark has one of the lowest self esteems Bruce has ever seen. And Steve just knocked him down ten pegs when he likely only had five to give.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Could Have Been

"You're selfish. It's all about you, all the time, everywhere. You don't care about me or any of us. You only care about yourself. You try to act like you care when we both know it's not true. You're nothing but a selfish, uncaring, wannabe hero."

Everyone just stared at Steve and Tony, not even wanting to move. Tony had an iron grip on a bottle of liquor, staring at Steve and refusing to cry. Steve had his hands clenched glaring at Tony, almost vibrating with anger.

Tony was the one to break the silence. "Yea I guess you're right." He said, swallowing around a thick lump in his throat. "I don't care." He looked away from Steve and continued out of the room.

Steve turned as Tony left. "You're not a team player Tony. You never should have been in this team." He called after him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Asked Bruce, standing. "What'd he do to deserve that?"

"He deliberately disobeys me every chance he gets! He does whatever he wants, whenever he wants to! He thinks he's some sort of answer from God because he's a genius."

"Tony Stark has one of the lowest self esteems I've ever seen." Bruce replied softly. "You just took him down about ten notches when he probably only had five."

"Maybe that's your little crush on him speaking Bruce." Steve snapped.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Steve?" asked Clint from his little nest toward the vent. 

Steve rolled his eyes. "Nothing. I'm tired of Tony's way of acting. I want him off the team."

"And you decide you can just figure that out for yourself? You don't have to consult the team about it?" asked Bruce angrily. "Tony is a vital part of this team."

"He's the screw up of the team! All he ever does is cause problems!" 

"That's a bit far fetched Steve." Natasha said calmly from her seat on the couch. "Tony, although he's obnoxious and can be a handful, has helped the team a lot. You know that thing that has your shield coming back? Tony. The jet? Tony. The updates on any of our uniforms, this tower, the cash we have that we otherwise wouldn't. All Tony. And besides that, he's just as much a hero as any of us. He's saved people just as many times as you have. He's made the final call, the hard decisions, just as often as any of us."

"This is all too sudden." Clint said, coming down from the vent. "What's the real problem?" 

"Nothing." Steve snapped. "He's not fit to work with us." 

"That is a team decision. You don't get to decide that alone." Natasha said.

"I can't work with someone like him!" 

"Maybe that's your little crush talking Steve." Bruce replied harshly. 

For a moment everything went quiet, and Steve simply stared at Bruce. As the time passed Steve become more and more red and Bruce more and more tense. 

"Okay, cool down both of you." Natasha demanded, seeing the possible outcome of this. "We don't need anyone lashing out right now."

"I'm perfectly fine." said Bruce tersely.

"Bruce breathe." said Clint softly. "Everything's cool."

"It isn't like we weren't all aware anyway." said Natasha with a shrug.

Steve looked embarrassed. "Seriously?"

Natasha rolled her eyes. "The only one that didn't see it was Tony, Steve. You're like a grade schooler. You couldn't just tell him how you felt?" 

"No. I couldn't." Steve said softly, looking at Bruce. "He's infuriating."

"But you can't help it." Clint said with a smirk.

"I'm glad you never have told him." Bruce said plainly. "You'd ruin him more than he already is. He doesn't need someone to make him feel the way that you do."

Steve opened his mouth to speak, but Jarvis cut in. "I am sorry to interrupt, but I believe sir might require some assistance."

"Where is he?" Natasha asked, staring at Steve with a slight frown. 

"Sir is on the roof, and I'm afraid to say he is becoming quite intoxicated."

"I'll go." Steve said, already walking toward the elevator. 

"Don't you think you've done enough?" Bruce asked angrily. "I'm going."

"No I-"

"Bruce should go." said Clint. "He can calm him down easiest."

"Agreed." said Natasha, moving Steve aside so Bruce could get into the elevator. "Let us know if you need help."

"Sure." Bruce said. He glanced at Steve and saw he had tears in his eyes. He looked away, not allowing himself to feel sympathy or to wonder why they were there.

The elevator took him straight to the roof. Once the doors opened, he saw Tony sitting at the edge of the roof, guzzling the bottle he had in his hand when Steve had told him off. Bruce moved quietly over to him, and sat down beside him. He waited for Tony to realize he was there. 

Tony glanced over at Bruce, and Bruce faintly realized he had been crying. Now, he plastered on a huge smile. "Bruce! Have you heard? I'm no longer an Avenger."

"Of course you are Tony. You'll always be an Avenger." Bruce said softly. "Mind if I take that bottle?"

Tony frowned slightly but managed to replace his smile, although his tone was sadder. "I'm not done yet Bruce. I... I'm not done."

Bruce could tell he wasn't speaking about the liquor, even as he took another swig. "No Tony, you're not done. I know."

Tony looked over at him, his eyes glistening. "Why aren't I enough Bruce? I wasn't enough for Howard or Obadiah, or Fury, or Pepper, or Steve. Or you. I'm not enough. Why can't I be enough Bruce?"

Bruce leaned over and pulled Tony to him. Tony tried to control himself, but ended up sobbing against Bruce as the man simply held him. 

Bruce allowed Tony to cry, and didn't say anything until he was quiet, hiccuping against Bruce's chest. "You've always been enough Tony. They've never been smart enough to see it. You are enough for any of those people. You're too good for me." 

Tony pulled back slightly to look at Bruce. "But I don't want to be too good for you. I'm not. You're what I want now."

"I think that's the liquor talking Tony." Bruce said with a sad smile.

"No it isn't." Tony said with a frown. "I... I love you."

Tony leaned in hesitantly, bringing his lips to Bruce's. Bruce was stunned for moments, but finally pulled Tony closer and reciprocated. 

Someone cleared their throat behind them and the pair pulled apart. They both turned to find Steve standing there, taut and stern. "Well, looks like that worked out." He said with a small voice, looking at Bruce. "He's drunk. You're using him."

Bruce flushed red. "Enough Steve. He needs some rest."

"Yea, that's exactly what he needs." Steve said with what resembled a sneer. "Get him inside."

"You're not my babysitter Steve." Tony said angrily, holding the bottle in his hand tighter once more. "I can take care of myself."

"Obviously not. You came up here to have a tantrum, I think you need a babysitter."

"Enough, stop now." Bruce said, standing. "Not now."

"I hate you." Tony said softly, gripping the bottle so hard it shattered and the glass fell to the ground and the neck cut into his palms. He let it go and stood. "I wish you were still in the ice."

Steve looked like he was going to cry, but he turned away. "Me too." He said simply, leaving the pair on the roof alone. 

"I can't deal with this anymore." Tony said, looking to the city, standing at the side of the roof. 

"Tony, come away from the side. Come on, we'll just get some rest and talk about this tomorrow."

"I don't want to." Tony moved closer to the edge. "I don't want to do anything tomorrow."

"Tony if you jump the other guy will come out. He'll save you. It'll all be for nothing." Bruce said, trying to control the swarm of emotions inside of him.

Tony turned and nodded. "You know what, you're right." He looked down and then leaned down, picking up a piece of sharp glass.

"Tony please." Bruce said, taking a step toward him. "Don't do this. Think about the consequences."

"I've already revised my will. The Avengers get the tower and Pepper gets the company but she has to keep away from weapons and help the Avengers when they need it. It's all taken care of." He smiled slightly. "I love you, be happy." He took the glass and slit one of wrists vertical. He shook now, as Bruce ran to him, but he transferred the glass to his other hand and slit the other wrist. 

"Jarvis help!" Bruce screamed, trying to cover the slits with his own hands as Tony fell down to the roof. "Tony, Tony, stay with me. Fuck, Tony no don't close you're eyes." Bruce could tell the cuts where deep. He didn't have long. "Tony you gotta stay with me, you can't do this."

"Don't worry Bruce." Tony said, voice light and eyes heavy. "Things will be better now."

Just then, the three remaining Avengers stormed in.

"What the- Shit, fuck!" Clint panicked, running to Tony. "Jarvis call an ambulance."

"They won't be able to stitch these up. They're deep, and run vertical." Natasha said softly. "Bruce, what can we do?" 

"Nothing." Bruce said, staring at Tony's chest as his breathing slowed. "He's dying and we can't do anything."

"I... love you." Tony struggled to say, lifting his hand and caressing Bruce's cheek. "Tell Pep too. And... Rhodes. A-and J." He glanced over to Steve. "Everything is g-good now."

Steve stared at Tony as the mechanic closed his eyes, as he took his last breath and went still. 

The remaining Avengers were silent for a long while. 

"Sir?" Jarvis spoke, and the rest could hear the anguish in his voice although he was not a man. 

"He's gone Jarvis." Natasha said, feeling for Tony's pulse. "Tony's dead."

Clint was the first to start crying, and for once he did not try to hide it. He took Tony's bloody, cooling hand and cried. 

Natasha moved a strand of Tony's hair off of his forehead and stared at him for a few moments and then nodded. "I'll make the calls." She said softly, standing and leaving the roof. 

Bruce was in shock. He stared at Tony's lifeless body, holding the hand that had falling from his cheek just as the man died. He didn't need to worry about the other guy right now. He was hidden, buried underneath the pain and sorrow, hiding from the depression. "I'm sorry Tony." He said softly. "I'm sorry."

"This is all my fault." Steve said, staring at the unmoving body of Howard's son. "I killed him."

"Great observation." Bruce said, now biting back his anger. He stood, walking toward the elevator. "Congratulations Steve. Your problems all fixed."

"This isn't what I wanted!" Steve called as Bruce got into the elevator. 

"Are you sure about that?"

The elevator closed and took Bruce down to the garage. The elevator opened, beginning his life of solitude, it closed behind him, closing his life with the Avengers, his last chance of happiness. 

He watched the funeral on television. He watched Steve speak, saying how he didn't want this. How much Tony will be missed. He saw Pepper crying as she struggled through her speech. He saw Natasha and realized how much she was struggling with her composure. He saw the still body of what could have been. And he let the anger wash over him.


End file.
